Many parents know firsthand one of the most popular Finnish brands for the production of demi-season and winter shoes "Kuoma". Some buy it in Russia, while others, fearing fakes, rush to go to Finland for it when the cold weather sets in. What is the shoes from the oldest specialized manufacturer "Kuomiokoski", which for more than 80 years continues to successfully win the attention and maintain the trust of its customers in the quality products of "Kuoma", from insoles, slippers, work boots, and ending with ultra-modern felt boots for almost all ages categories? What should you pay attention to when choosing products of this brand? And what is Kuom's size chart?
Kuoma brand shoes for many Russians living in the middle zone of the country are associated primarily with the so-called felt boots, which in many ways resemble ordinary children's or adult boots, but not traditional felt products. Warm and light, comfortable and comfortable, of various colors - from cold, calm, pastel to bright and daring, including those with simple patterns, they give a whole bunch of positive emotions to their "owners". BUTlittle preschoolers now do not need to suffer with zippers, laces and fasteners: it is enough just to make a minimum of effort when putting on shoes, putting a leg into a Kuoma boot without braces. The dimensional grid (reviews about shoes are mostly positive) allows you to choose boots with an elegant block, side or front Velcro, drawstrings that form a snow-proof cuff, leather inserts, decorative ties. Designed for women in shiny super polyamide.
Quality characteristics of felt boots "Kuoma"
Not presentable enough and somewhat cumbersome (according to some categories of people) appearance completely overlaps the quality characteristics of the durable "Kuoma" boots, the dimensional grid of which will be given below. Firstly, they are characterized by good thermal insulation properties, created by a soft layer of faux fur, a felt removable insole that does not roll in felt boots, a practical, flexible, shock-absorbing polyurethane sole, both high and low (for babies). Wear resistance is ensured by high-quality modern textiles with moisture and dirt-repellent impregnation, toes on the side and on the toe, molded onto the frame of the same seamless, strong, non-slip sole. In addition to special impregnation, an indicator of moisture resistance is the presence of innovative closed-cell plastic in shoes. A comfortable last and a tight back indicate that when sewing Kuoma shoes, the anatomical structure of the foot is taken into account without fail. Suitable also for people with high instep. Another nice little thing, although not so describing the quality of shoes, but playing an important role in ensuring the safety of the child on the road at night, is the presence of reflective 3M-Scotchlite elements.
Weather conditions
What kind of weather are "Kuoma" felt boots intended for? The dimensional grid of this product suggests its use by different age categories both in mild and severe frosts. The temperature regime of the air can vary from -5ºС to -40ºС. Up to -10ºС it is enough to put on cotton socks for a child or an adult. It is not recommended to use synthetics with felt boots, as it will be cold and cause discomfort. In severe frosts, many mothers, still fearing for the he alth of their children, put on thermal or woolen socks for them or purchase thin soft fur insoles, inserting them directly onto their native felt ones. Here everything is individual. If the shoes are chosen correctly, sometimes a terry sock with felt boots is enough even in the bitter cold.
Flaws
The disadvantages of Kuoma shoes include the following:
- the more active the child, the faster the heel in felt boots wears out;
- these are not membrane shoes, feet can sweat in a warm room, so it’s better to wear a shift at school rather than walking in boots;
- too thin leg will look somewhat sloppy in Kuom's boots with a wide top.
Size grid
Kuoma is represented by a fairly wide range of Finnish shoes, differing in models, color shades. The size range of the goods produced by the official manufacturer "Kuomiokoski" varies from 19 to 49. In this regard, for the majority of those who wish, there is a unique opportunity to choose the right solution. The size is fixed on the sole and a tag on the inside of the shoe.
Does Kuoma's size range meet generally accepted Russian standards?
Depending on the length of the foot, children's shoes, according to all-Russian standards, are presented in sizes 16.5 - 37.5. For adults, the range ranges from 35-50. When buying Finnish shoes, it makes sense to pay close attention to the fact that the dimensional grid of Kuoma products is somewhat different from the Russian generally accepted standard sizes. So, for example, if your child has 24, then according to the relative length of the insole, Kuoma shoes will correspond to size 23. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Kuoma size grid (for children and adults) does not have "half" values. Therefore, when choosing and buying shoes, you should first of all rely not on the existing foot size, but on the length of the foot, correlating it with the desired Finnish size along the length of the insole. A little lower in the table are data that clearly show the correspondence of the insole length to the desired size, which will easily help you determine the appropriate size for Kuoma shoes. Dimensional grid, due to simple ignorancethat it does not meet Russian standards, unfortunately, is not always taken into account, which leads to errors.
The nuances of choosing the right size of Kuom's shoes
When determining the right shoe size for yourself before buying, it is important to remember the following. Shoes "Kuoma" can not be worn back to back!!! To do this, at least a centimeter - one and a half should be added to the resulting foot length. This will allow (if necessary and to reassure mothers) to put extra socks on the child or insert fur insoles in severe frosts, and, most importantly, to provide the necessary ventilation of the legs in Kuoma felt boots. Dimensional grid (customer reviews testify to this) helps a lot in making the right choice. Plus, in children under 10 years old, the leg is also growing rapidly.
Sizes in different models. Table "Boots, felt boots Kuoma: dimensional grid"
Shoe manufacturer Kuoma tried to anticipate the wishes of its customers and created felt boots of various designs. Moreover, there are some models that are produced simultaneously for both children and adults. The classic version of "Kuoma" boots: "Putkivarsi" for children and "Universal" for adults are presented in sizes 20-39 and 35-49 respectively.
Size | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
Insole length (in mm) | 132 | 137 | 145 | 150 | 156 | 162 | 169 | 177 |
Size | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Insole length (in mm) | 184 | 191 | 198 | 205 | 210 | 219 | 225 | 231 |
Size | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 |
Insole length (in mm) | 240 | 245 | 252 | 260 | 265 | 270 | 280 | 285 |
Size | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | - | - |
Insole length (in mm) | 293 | 300 | 305 | 312 | 315 | 320 | - | - |
Corresponds to the above sizes of Kuoma Tarravarsi Velcro shoes (positioned as children's shoes) except that its dimensional grid ends in size 35. Women's models have a similar insole length: "Gloria" (Gloria), "Elle" (Elle) and"Glamour" (Glamour) - "Kuoma" boots, the size grid of which starts from 23 for "Gloria" and "Elle", from 30 for "Glamour", and ends with the 42nd size for all three models. More like boyish boots, Kuoma's "Crosser" felt boots are in sizes 22-35, while their adult version is in sizes 36-47. For babies from one to two and a half years old (on average), the size grid "Kuoma" for children 19-24 (13-15, 6 mm) is presented with a strong zipper and a fur upper insert that protects from wind and precipitation.
There may be slight deviations of 2-5 mm in the length of the insole from different sources. In order not to be mistaken and not to doubt, you can measure the length of the foot in advance, make a foot blank taking into account its length (heel - big toe) and correlate it with Kuom's felt insole right in the store.
Proper care
Small dirt on Kuom's shoes is enough to wipe with a soft damp cloth or wash off the dirt from the sole under running water. Most textile patterns can be machine washed on a delicate cycle. Polyamide items can only be washed by hand in water not exceeding 40ºС. After washing, it makes sense to treat shoes with an aerosol impregnation specially designed to restore water-repellent properties.